Tension
by LeeTheSlytherin
Summary: Alene Sorensen is a quiet fourth year Slytherin who's upset with the prejudice at Hogwarts. When a fifth year Ravenclaw tries to be friends with Alene because of an infatuation with Draco Malfoy, can Alene prove that Slytherin can be heroic, too?


Disclaimer: Draco and Hogwarts, as well as any other Harry Potter-related things belong to JK Rowling, I however like my control over Alene Sorensen, Robin, and Liselle Macero, as well as any other random characters that aren't mentioned in Harry Potter.  
  
  
  
Prologue  
  
Prejudice is everywhere; yet, not only of race or color, religion or morals, gender or sexual preference. Discrimination is everywhere, in everyone. There is no denying it. Everyone is prejudice in one's own way.  
  
Slytherin. Slither. Serpent. Evil. Vile. Corruption. Hate…  
  
"They hate us, you know." Alene muttered as she eyed two Gryffindors who scoffed as they stalked by the Slytherin table.  
  
Alene was a fourth year in the house of Slytherin, the least-favored house at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Slytherin house was infamous for raising many of the darkest witches and wizards that the world had ever known.  
  
"You think so?" Robin replied, nonchalantly, as she went back to picking at her food with her fork.  
  
"They do. You can see it in their eyes, the way they look at us. Not like it's any different on our side, mind you. Duels breaking out and even fistfights when no one wants to use magic. All because we're in a different house; all because they think we're all dark, that we're all evil. The teachers keep it all under wraps, but we know what goes on. It's sickening."  
  
They caste us. Place us into our own little communities and expect us to survive, but all it brings on is competition. We are the most hated of the four houses. All the houses reject us and put us off as the "bad seeds". All because we have turned out the most infamous witches and wizards. They choose to forget that there have been "bad seeds" in their houses, as well, but they blame it all on us. We're now outcast by our peers. Not brave like the Gryffindors, not wise like the Ravenclaws, not loyal like the Hufflepuffs. No, we're just ambitious, doing anything and everything to get what we want. That's all they see us as.  
  
"Listen, Alene," Robin said, finally looking at her with some form of sympathy, "don't worry about it. I mean sure there have been fights and all, but nothing too serious, right?"  
  
"We have such a bad reputation. I just wish sometimes that people wouldn't immediately jump to the conclusion that I'm going to be some dark witch and try to take over the world or some crap like that. God, you know? I mean have some sense, for crying out loud." Alene's tone was sardonic. She had quickly lost her appetite and began to poke at the half-eaten roast on the dinner plate. She continued, "Just…why don't they ever refer to all those other witches and wizards that went bad. You know the ones that weren't in Slytherin. It's like they don't count just because they only had a few or something. And even then, isn't it always a Slytherin's fault? 'Oh, well I knew that so-and-so was hanging around that Slytherin boy' or better yet, 'Well, you know what I heard, I heard that so-and-so should have been in Slytherin. Apparently his great-great-great-great grandfather was in Slytherin.' Yeah, find a way to blame it on us, as usual."  
  
Alene looked up in time to see Robin shake her head and roll her eyes. Alene looked back down at the mahogany table, setting down her fork.  
  
"You know they would, Robin. It's the same everywhere. Gossip and such, just utter hatred. No one ever takes the blame for themselves, always blame someone else, and its easier to blame the 'most-likely'. It's like human nature, or survival of the most vicious, whatever. It's just how it is, and I'm beginning to think it won't ever go away."  
  
Robin was silent, and Alene didn't look up again and just began to float away into her own thoughts that even she was too frightened to express to Robin.  
  
Tension is building around here. If you open yourself up to it, you can feel it course through your veins like a seething hot liquid. Tension and fear around every corner. Cedric, the handsome, athletic Hufflepuff was dead. We thought we were safe here at Hogwarts, with Headmaster Dumbledore. But it's not only the idea that someone's dead. There are people in this room whose families have served the Dark Lord. It could be anyone. I don't know whom I can trust; they hate those who are not purebred wizards and witches. Muggle father, destitute of any magic. I am what they call "mudblood." Impure. It's so appalling…I fear my housemates. Everyone knows most of the Deatheaters and their families were of the Slytherin household. The offspring of his followers are here among us. We don't know who they are, or what they'll do. It's going to happen…soon…very soon. If only…  
  
"…we could stop them…"  
  
"What?" Robin looked at Alene, who had a glazed look on her face, not having realized she had voiced the last part.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You said something about stopping someone."  
  
"Oh. I was just thinking out-loud, I guess."  
  
"About what?" Robin seemed really intrigued.  
  
"Just…never mind, forget I said anything."  
  
Robin shrugged and stood up. As she was picking up her books for History of Magic class, she stopped and looked at Alene.  
  
"Alene," Robin waited till the short fourth year had finished gathering her books and looked up, "Don't get yourself overwrought about this. You can't save the world, you know? If those Gryffindors can't see the fact that you are a kind, caring person then that's their own fault, and they don't know what they're missing. You say we have a bad reputation, but only because we're represented by bad people. You're better than the rest of them, Alene. You are the good example of what Slytherin's can be. Remember that."  
  
Robin walked off, leaving Alene standing in the Great Hall with her books, as everyone filed out of the room. 


End file.
